TWO BRUSCHETTE

By BobD

Ingredients

• The green-olive tapenade, which uses pre-pitted olives, can be made in minutes with a blender or food processor. The sauteed mushroom topping is equally savory hot or at room temperature.
• 8 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 3/4 pound mushrooms, chopped fine
• 3 cloves garlic, 2 minced, 1 smashed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Fresh-ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus 1/3 cup lightly packed leaves
• 1/2 cup pitted green olives
• 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from cooking.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a large frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil with the butter over moderately high heat. Add the mushrooms, the minced garlic, the salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and the sage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley. Remove from the heat.

In a blender or food processor, put the olives, parsley leaves, smashed garlic, anchovy paste, the remaining 6 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Blend or process to a coarse puree.

Spread the mushroom mixture on eight of the bruschetta, and the tapenade on the rest.

VARIATIONS:

Bruschetta can be topped with endless combinations of ingredients. Some of our favorites to try:

*Chopped tomato and basil
*Diced roasted bell peppers with crumbled goat cheese
*Drained canned tuna and capers
*Strips of Parmigiano-Reggiano
*A split garlic clove rubbed over the toast, followed by a generous drizzle of olive oil